Chapter 71: Tangled Threads
(Alexander's POV)
The air in my room was thick with silence. It was the kind that pressed against the walls and settled between every breath — the silence of too many questions and not enough answers.
Eilidh, Yvette, and Isabella sat cross-legged on my bed, the duvet crumpled under their knees like a field after battle. Michael leaned against my desk, arms folded, his expression tight and unreadable. Arthur sat in my desk chair, spinning it slightly left and right, his usual composure laced now with irritation.
I stood by the window, cigarette unlit between my fingers, staring out at the dark courtyard below. The glow from the lamppost cut through the night like a blade.
Arthur broke the silence first.
"So let me get this straight," he said, his voice clipped, "you two decided to sneak into Alistair's office alone? Without telling anyone?"
I turned from the window, meeting his gaze.
"Yes."
